Automatic joining device for reeled band materials



May 22, 1962 KIHACHIRO OTA ETAL 3,035,787

AUTOMATIC JOINING DEVICE FOR REELED BAND MATERIALS Filed Nov. 25, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: K/HfiCH/RO 0779 BY K/A/T/JAO 0 m y 22, 1962KlHACHlRO-O TA ETAL 3,035,787

AUTOMATIC JOINING DEVICE FOR REELED BAND MATERIALS Filed Nov. 25, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS (we camp 07?? m/vmm flfi/f/ United StatesPatent Ofiice 335J3l Patented May 22, 1952 3,035,787 AUTOMATIC JOININGDEVICE FOR REELED BAND MATERIALS Kihachiro Ota, 28 Shimizucho,Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan,

and Kintaro Aoki, Tokyo, Japan; said Aoki assignor to said Ota FiledNov. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 855,464 Claims priority, application Japan Dec.5, 1958 5 Claims. (Cl. 242-56) This invention relates in general to webfeeding devices and in particular to a new and useful device for joininga sheet of web material arranged on a new reel thereof to the trailingportion of a web which is being fed from a reel which is being depleted.

The present invention has particular application in machines such asthose employed for feeding webs of paper, metal foil, etc., in which itis desired to permit uninterrupted operation of the machine when it isnecessary to feed from a new reel of the web material after the old reelwhich is in an operative position has been used up. The presentinvention provides a device of this nature in which the feeding may becarried on continuously and when the new reel is placed into anoperative position there is no slowing down or interruption of thefeeding of the material.

In previous devices of this nature it was necessary to halt operation ofthe machine in some instances in order to place the new reel in apredetermined position and thereafter secure it to the trailing end ofthe web of the depleted reel before the operation could be resumed. Insome instances automatic feeding machines of this nature have beenprovided which include means for pasting or adhesively securing the webof the new reel to the trailing portion of the web from the reel whichis being used up. Such devices have the disadvantage of requiringadditional means for feeding adhesive to the location of the joining ofthe materials and in most instances must be operated intermittently inorder to insure that a proper joint is effected.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rotatabledouble arm lever rotatably supporting at least two reels, one of whichis arranged to feed web material over a guide roller to apparatus foroperating on this web material. The invention includes a rotatablereceiving roller having means for holding the forward edge of webmaterial from a new reel mounted on one position of the double armlever.

A pressure backing roller is connected to the double arm lever andarranged on the opposite side of the web being fed from the old reel,the arrangement being such that the new web may be positioned onto theweb being fed and pressure-joined thereto by forcing the receivingroller against the backing roller to effect feeding of the new web alongwith the old web. Further means are included adjacent the backing rollerto sever the web material being fed from the old reel. The old reelspool is thereupon removed and a new reel is placed in position topermit a similar operation after the reel which has just been placed inoperation is depleted.

A feature of the inventive arrangement is that the receiving rollerincludes means for holding the forward ends which are actuated uponcontact with the pressure roller to release the forward edge of the webfor joining to the web which is being fed through the apparatus. Joiningis accomplished by pressure contact which may advantageously beaccomplished by indentations or engravings on the receiving roller whicheffectively cause crushing of the material of this new web to thematerial of the old web to permit feeding of the new web through themachinery and severing of the remaining lengths of the old web.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmechanism for the continuous feeding of web material from a plurality ofreels of such material after each reel in succession is depleted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a web feeding mechanismincluding means for supporting a reel for rotatably feeding the webmaterial therefrom and means adjacent thereof to the old reel when thefirst reel is becoming depleted of web material and includingcooperating rollers for directing the new web material into contact withthe web material being fed from the first reel and thereafter securingsuch material thereto by pressure contact to permit feeding from thesecond reel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for facilitatingthe feeding of web material from a first reel and for thereafter joiningthe leading edge of the web material of a second reel to the trailingportion of the first reel web material as it is being unwound from thefirst reel, and including pressure roller means on one side of saidfirst reel web material located adjacent the path of feed of such webmaterial, and receiving roller means on the opposite side of the webmaterial of said first reel including means for holding the forward edgeof the web material of said second reel, said receiving roller beingdisplaceable into contact with said pressure roller to force the webmaterial fed from said second reel into contact and pressure engagementwith the material being fed from said first reel, and means for severingthe web material being fed from said first reel after the material beingfed from said second reel is joined thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism forfacilitating the continuous feeding of web material from a series ofreels in succession by joining the web material. of a new reel to thetrailing portion of the web material of the depleted. reel by pressurecontact.

A further object is to provide a web feeding device which is simple indesign, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

in the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are partial side elevations of a web materialunwinding device constructed in accordance with the invention indicatingthe apparatus in the various stages of shifting the feeding of webmaterial from one reel to another;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the receiving roller;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the receiving roller and pressure orpusher roller in engagement therewith; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of receiving roller.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied thereinincludes an apparatus for feeding web material from a reel thereofincluding spaced end frame members 1 (one of which is indicated in thedrawings) which include a downwardly extending leg piece 2 whichsupports, along with another laterally spaced leg iec-e (not shown), aspindle 3 upon which is mounted a double arm reel supporting member 6.

The reel supporting member 6 includes an opening 7 through which thespindle 3 is passed. Each end of the double arm lever 6 includes aspindle 4 and 5, respectively, upon which are mounted a first reel A ofweb material and a second reel B of web material, respectively.

The reel A includes web material 27 which is fed over a guide roller 26which is rotatably supported on an up- 3 standing arm piece or member 24on a spindle 25. The web 27 is directed to apparatus (not shown) foroperating upon the web as desired.

in accordance with the invention when theweb material 27 feeds off thereel A to a point at which it gets down near the central core thereof itis necessary to join a sheet or" material 27 from the reel B thereto,without stopping the operation of the machine. For this purpose theinvention includes means for directing the forward edge of the web 27into pressure contact with the remaining portion of the web 27 to effectpressure-joining thereof and thereafter includes means for severing theweb 27 and permitting the feeding of the web 27.

The mechanism to efiect the above includes a spindle 11 which issupported by extensions of the frame 1-1 (not shown) and which isconnected to mechanism (not shown) such, for example, as a hand-operatedlever, gear means driving through a motor, or other motor orhandoperated means to rotate the latter. A double arm rod 9 is pivotedon spindle 3 and carries a cross member 11 which is displaced to rotaterod 9 about pivot 8. The rod 9 carries at one end a receiving roller 12.The spindle 8 which is pivotally connected to the opposite end of rod 9provides an axle for the independent rotation of an arm member 1%. Thearm member 10* carries at its free end a support 19 carrying a cylinder40 having a compression spring therein which biases a spindle 41 in adirection toward the receiving cylinder 1'2. The spindle 41 carries apusher or pressure roller 21. A knife member 22 is also aflixed to thelower end of the supporting member 19 and includes a pointed knife blade23 which extends in a direction toward the web 27.

In accordance with the invention, the receiving roller as indicatedparticularly in FIG. 5 includes an axially elongated slot 15 defined inits outer periphery which communicates internally through a hollowpassage 14 to a source of suction or vacuum (not shown). The cylinder 12includes axle projections 13 which rotatably support it at each end on aset of double arm crank levers 9 (one of which is shown).

In accordance with the invention the web material 27' is positioned overthe slot 15 and the vacuum therein holds the edge of the sheet to theroller. The roller 12 advantageously includes a raised, embossed, orroughened surface immediately adjacent the slot 15 and which normally isin engagement with the web 27' in the position it assumes when it is tobe joined to the web 27.

The web 27 is brought into contact with the web 27 by rotating the arm 9such as by mechanism engaging cross member 11, such as by hand, or amotor control, to swing the receiving roller 12 into engagement with theweb 27 and to press it inwardly against the pressure roller 21 againstthe force of its biasing spring 20. Sufficient pressure is brought tobear acting through the shaft 11 to cause the embossed portion 16 of thereceiving roller to imbed portions of the web 27' into the web 27 andcause a firm joining theretogether.

A microswitch '17 is arranged adjacent one side of the roller 12 andthis includes a button 18 which projects in the manner illustrated inFIG. 6 suificiently so that it is contacted by the pressure roller 21only after the two rollers 12 and 21 have been brought into pressureengagement.

This contact of the button 18 causes the switch to shut oh the vacuumcontrol to the hollow portion 14 and the slot 15 and frees the edge ofthe web 27' to cause it to be fed along with the web 27. In thisposition as indicated in FIG. 3, the lmife point 23 approaches the web27 and further movement of the shaft 11 deflects the web 27 against theknife 23 to cause the severance thereof.

It should be appreciated that since the lever 10 is pivoted at 8, thesupporting member 19 may move to the position indicated in FIG. 3 fromthe position of rest indicated in F168. 1 and 2. In some instances it isadvantageous to employ a tension spring 10' to cause the lever 10 andthe shaft 11 to move back to an at rest position. The lever 10 isarticulated such as by a member connected thereto (not shown) to rotateit about its pivot axis or rod 3 and lever 149 carries the supportingmember 19. Spring 14)" biases the arm 10 against a stop it? to theinitial rest positions indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is indicated in FIG. 7 in whichthere is employed a holding device 23 comprising a series of pivotalholding members 4-2- which rotate inwardly and outwardly from theperiphery of the drum in order to clasp the end of the web 27' firmlythereto. The movement of the clasping members 4 2 is controlled by themicroswitch 17 much the same as the vacuum was in the previousembodiment.

Thus the invention provides means for easily joining the forward end ofa fresh web material to the trailing end of web material which is fedfrom a previous reel. The mechanism permits joining of the web from thenew reel without any adhesive or other joining material. in someinstances, however, it is advantageous to employ means for directingplastic or other heat scalable materials out through the receiving drum12 or in the neighborhood thereof and for heating this material so thatthe heat sealing is made upon contact of the receiving drum 12 with thepressure roller 21 forcing the web 27' into heat sealing engagement withthe web 27.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

We claim:

1. A web feeding device comprising a web material supply mounting arm,means mounting said mounting arm for rotation about a central pivotallocation, means on said mounting arm for supporting first and secondreels of web material, guiding roller means for guiding the web forfeeding along a prescribed feed path, a first arm pivotally mounted atone end, pressure roller means on the free end of said first armdisposed adjacent one side of the web being fed from said first reelofweb material including a roller biased in a direction towards said webmaterial being fed from said first'reel, a second arm pivotally mountedat one end on the same pivot as said first arm, web receiver rollermeans on said second arm disposed on the opposite side of the web beingfed from said first reel of web material, means on said web receiverroller means for holding the end of the web from said second reel of webmaterial, pivot means mounting said first and second arms forindependent rotative movement about said pivot means, said web receiverroller means being movable by rotating 'said second arm to bring the webfrom the second reel thereon through a path intersecting the line offeed of the web being fed from said first reel supply of said webmaterial, said pressure roller means including said roller biased in adirection towards the web being fed from said first reel, said rollerbeing movable by rotation of said first arm through a path intersectingthe web being fed from said first reel into pressure contact with saidreceiver roller means, said receiver roller means including a roughenedarea defined thereon at the location of pressure contact with saidpressure roller means, said roughened are being effective to press theweb material from said second reel into contact with the web materialbeing fed from said first reel to press and embed the material of thesecond reel onto the web material of the first reel to cause combinedfeeding therewith, and a knife carried by said first arm movable througha path to intersect the web material being fed from said reel and tosever the latter after said pressure roller means has been moved by saidfirst arm against said biasing means upon pressure contact with saidreceiver roller means.

2. A web feeding device according to claim 1, wherein 5 said pressureroller means includes a roller member adjacent the feed path from saidfirst reel of Web material and spring means to bias said roller in adirection toward said feed path.

3. A web feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said receiverroller includes mechanical means for clamping the end of the web on saidroller.

4. A web feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said receiverro1ler means includes pressure means holding the end of the web to saidreceiver roller.

5. A web feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said receiverroller means is a hollow drum including passage means extending to theperiphery thereof for directing vacuum thereto for holding the end ofthe web material from said second reel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,739,610 Peto Dec. 17, 1929 1,885,262 Horton Nov. 1, 1932 1,899,185 DiIanni Feb. 28, 1933 2,435,376 Wilcoxon Feb. 3, 1948 10 2,752,985 AldrichJuly 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 399,780 Great Britain 1933

